Taiwan Region Student Design Competition
2023
We are delighted for the third year to host the Taiwan Region Real Leather. Stay Different. Student Design Competition 2023, a search for the best of Taiwan’s new designers and for those who want to promote slow style and a more sustainable future for fashion.
Are you concerned about fast throwaway fashion and unsustainable materials? According to Greenpeace, synthetics – made using petrochemicals from the oil industry – now make up 60% of our clothing. These clothes not only take hundreds of years to biodegrade but are often cheap and poorly made. The result — nearly one billion items of clothing, each typically worn just five times — are thrown away every year.
In the meantime, leather, a natural by-product of the dairy and meat industries and our growing demand for food — from burgers to milkshakes, can be used to make items that last a lifetime and, when disposed of, biodegrade quickly. Leather is a perfect solution to one of fashion’s biggest problems, but each year almost half of the world’s cattle hides are just thrown away.
To encourage thinking about our planet’s future and to combat this waste, our judges challenge you to create an original, innovative, and visually stunning design, in one of three categories of apparel, accessories or footwear made from real cattle leather. They would also like to see how entrants approach creating garments that will not only last, but be loved, for a lifetime.
The competition, run with our partners at ArtsThread, opens January 3 2023, and closes on April 17 2023. Any entries submitted after that date will not be accepted.
THE BRIEF & DELIVERABLES
You are asked to use leather as the inspiration for a single item, either clothing, shoes, or accessories. Entries must be at least 50% cattle hide leather and any other materials used must be natural or organic materials where possible. We do not accept the use of fur or exotic skins. Plastics must only be used where no natural alternatives are available. We would like your piece to capture one or more of the facets of leather, from beauty and versatility to strength and durability.
Entries should include the following elements:
- A brief summary of your project provided in Mandarin and English.
- Storyboards and design inspiration.
- Sketches, flats, technical specifications, and final design (the item does not need to be physically made at this stage)
- A short two-minute video to introduce you and your design. This is optional but encouraged, as it brings life to your project.
Please give consideration to ease of recycling, reuse and disposal at the end of the product’s life, and also think about the practicalities of commercial production, as we are looking for designers who will start new brands, fashion movements or slow-style trends.
A shortlist of the best entries will be presented to the judges, and the finalists will be asked to create their designs for the final judging element. The materials will be provided by Taiwan Regional Association of Tanneries and Taiwan International Leather Association.
THE PRIZE
Each of the three category winners will receive a trophy, a cash prize [amount to be determined by the regional organizers], certificate and Coffee Table Book covering the competition and including their entry.
The overall winner will be chosen from three categories, their design will be professionally made, and form part of a capsule collection showcasing the best international talent and unveiled at an event hosted in Europe in October 2023.
COMPETITION SPONSORS
Regional Sponsor: The Place Taipei
Diamond Sponsors: TYCHE LEATHER INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD., JOLLITY ENTERPRISE CO., LTD, SYMBOL TRADING CO., LTD., ALLYASIA CO., LTD, Fortune Victoree Co., Ltd
Platinum Sponsors: PrimeAsia Leather Corporation, Tung Yang Trading Co., Ltd., Entire Co., Ltd., AXEL INCORPORATED, LIGO LEATHER ENTERPRISE CO., LTD, EVERLIGHT CHEMICAL INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION, HiFive Int’l Co., Ltd. (Cargill Cattle Hides Sales Representative)
Gold Sponsors: TAIWAN FOOTWEAR MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, TRAT(Taiwan Regional Association of Tanneries), TONG HONG TANNERY, CAHD ENTERPRISE CO., LTD, C.H.SAM INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD, Leather Chemicals CO.LTD, COLORMATE TRADING COMPANY, Weitai Leather Co., Ltd, RICHLAND LEATHER CO., LTD, LIEN SHUN YANG LEATHER CO., LTD, GROUND PONER ENTERPRISE CO., LTD, HUEI ING ENTERPRISE CO., LTD, TY Dynatan Trading Co.,Ltd, JIUH YI CHEMICAL INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
台灣地區贊助: 南港老爺行旅,
鑽石贊助: 泰慶皮革塑膠工業(股)公司, 約泰實業(股)公司, 信保貿易實業(股)公司, 亞立貿易有限公司, 金吉勝股份有限公司(德昌
白金贊助: 普愛亞細亞皮革(股)公司, 東陽貿易(股)公司, 楹泰有限公司,楹泰有限公司, 昶揚有限公司, 利谷企業(股)公司, 台灣永光化學工業(股)公司, 華彥國際有限公司
黃金贊助: 台灣區皮革工業同業公會, 台灣製鞋工業同業公會, 北海東紅製革有限公司(銀榮), 楷德企業有限公司, 磬宏國際實業有限公司, 革化有限公司, 佲峯貿易有限公司, 緯達皮革有限公司, 宏國皮革有限公司, 連順皮革(股)公司, 實全實業(股)公司, 輝鷹企業(股)公司, 明芯貿易有限公司, 聚益化學工業(股)公司
